Voices Against Brain Cancer comments on the recent discovery by Queensland scientists of a protein believed to play a significant role in the development of brain cancer.

An article in The Courier Mail discusses a recent research program that successfully isolated a protein believed to play a significant role in the formation of glioblastoma multiforme, the deadliest form of brain cancer.

Glioblastoma multiforme is typically fatal, according to the article, killing many within two years of being diagnosed.

Scientists from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research have researched a certain protein, known as EphA3, “that is present in about half of all cases of [glioblastoma multiforme],” reports the article. One of the team’s scientists, Bryan Day, said the protein “was believed to play a role in [tumor] formation.”

Another Queensland researcher, Andrew Boyd, also discovered the EphA3 protein in leukemia cells over 20 years ago. Boyd developed an experimental treatment using antibodies, that’s designed to target the EphA3 gene specifically, reports the article. Boyd’s treatment is currently already undergoing trials in the U.S. with leukemia patients, says the article. This means that the new discovery about EphA3 in relation to brain cancer is not only significant, but timely.

Researchers behind the new findings, which were published in the journal Cancer Cell, found that “by binding the antibody, known as IIIA4, to a radioactive isotope, the treatment has shown promise in animal trials. Human trials are at least two or three years away.” In the article, Professor Boyd said new treatments were an “urgent clinical challenge.”

Michael Klipper, Chairman of VABC, comments on the research. “Every advance we make toward understanding tumor formation is precious. The Australian research jibes with new findings that suggest that less aggressive, focused radiation treatments may be a safer way to effectively target glioblastoma,” says Klipper, adding that results like these help the medical community hone in on the safest, most effective protocols for what can be an exhausting treatment process, giving hope to everyone fighting this deadly condition.

VABC has a wide variety of initiatives in place for brain cancer research, awareness and support. The organization’s research grants fund cutting-edge research programs that will have a monumental impact on the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer. VABC currently funds research at several esteemed institutions such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cleveland Clinic, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, John Hopkins, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Yale, to name a few.

VABC's mission is to find a cure for brain cancer by advancing scientific research, increasing awareness within the medical community and supporting patients, their families and caregivers afflicted with this devastating disease.